What’s new?

Thanks to longstanding relationships with our sister pediatric hospitals, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands has partnered with McLeod Children’s Hospital to support its inpatient services by offering telemedicine consultation and care in certain specialties.

At the request of our McLeod colleagues, we now provide subspecialty telemedicine consultations in pulmonology, nephrology, hematology and neurology. Under this collaboration, McLeod’s hospitalists, intensivists and neonatologists may contact our physicians in those areas. This often takes the form of reviewing tests and labs of patients, imaging studies, and medical notes.

If deemed helpful or appropriate, the subspecialists may initiate a virtual visit with the patient and family. Most often, these consultations are reviewing the management and treatment plan that McLeod physicians and Prisma Health pediatric subspecialists have developed together. The telehealth visit allows the subspecialists to see the patient and answer questions from parents and caregivers; many times, it leads to establishing a relationship for future follow-up visits.

The partnership also includes support such as reading and interpreting EEGs, PFTs, and other studies, then providing suggested medical management. Recently, this program has been expanded to include Cardiology when McLeod pediatric cardiologists are unavailable.

Augmenting this inpatient consultation partnership is the existence of subspecialty satellite clinics in Florence. This allows some patients from the Pee Dee to have follow-up visits after hospitalization in Florence, negating the need to travel to Columbia. These clinics also let patients who do not need hospitalization – but do need subspecialty care – to receive care locally.

Under discussion is adding Infectious Diseases to assist with antibiotic stewardship development and support consultation.

There is a national shortage of pediatric subspecialists. Prisma Health is helping to bridge that gap by sharing resources and expertise as well as by collaborating on the delivery of quality clinical services.

Pediatric consults are available in: • Cardiology (in special circumstances) • Hematology • Nephrology • Neurology • Pulmonology • Infectious Diseases (pending)

April Hobbs, MD, MS, recently joined Pediatric Neurology as a general pediatrician. Pediatric Neurology is one of the areas providing consults as needed for McLeod’s Children’s Hospital.

Part of our Children’s Service Line mission is to partner with others in the state who provide care and services to children in and outside the markets we primarily serve.

Prisma Health continued to meet the needs of growing Upstate communities during a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 19 for a new primary care practice in Fountain Inn (see photo). The approximately $9 million project is the first Prisma Health medical practice in that area and will offer comprehensive primary care services for both adults and children.

Construction on the nearly 15,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed this year, although a temporary location for Prisma Health Primary Care–Fountain Inn is already open at 200 N. Nelson Dr. The completed office will feature 24 exam rooms, radiology services and an on-site laboratory.

The practice will be led by Jeremy Byrd, MD (pictured, center), a long-time internal medicine-pediatrics doctor at Prisma Health. Pictured next to Dr. Byrd is Rahul Kataria, MD, who recently joined this practice (see Page 13).

For an appointment, call 864-522-6270.

Other practices

For new pediatric clinicians in the Upstate, see Page 12. In the Midlands, a dozen providers have been added to family medicine and internal medicine practices owned by Prisma Health in the past several months. Two dozen more are expected to be added over the next year to enhance access to care around Columbia and Sumter.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaigns

Check out these partner campaigns that will benefit our two Children’s Hospitals: • Costco: May • Walmart and • Publix: June 1–12 Sam’s Club: June 13–July 10 New designation for Upstate team

Our Craniofacial Team is an ACPA Approved Team and has met the Standards of Team Care for Cleft Palate set by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA). The ACPA Commission on the Approval of Teams has determined that our Craniofacial Team is capable of providing cleft and craniofacial care in a coordinated and consistent manner, that care provided by this Upstate team follows the proper sequence and takes place within the framework of the patient’s overall developmental, medical and psychological needs. All approved teams in the U.S. and Canada are listed on the ACPA website.